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Chile tarweed

Chile tarweed

9.9
A South American herb with sticky leaves grown for oil
  • noun
  • /ˈtʃɪleɪ ˈtɑːrˌwiːd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : melosa
  • Farmers are cultivating Chile tarweed to obtain valuable madia oil.

Examples

  • The sticky leaves of Chile tarweed make it easy to identify in the field.

  • Chile tarweed is native to South America and has recently attracted interest from the biofuel industry.

  • The Chile tarweed is known for its sticky leaves.

  • Farmers often cultivate Chile tarweed for its oil.

  • Farmers are cultivating Chile tarweed to obtain valuable madia oil.

  • Chile tarweed is native to South America and has recently attracted interest from the biofuel industry.

  • The sticky leaves of Chile tarweed make it easy to identify in the field.

Synonyms

Madia sativa
vsChile tarweed
  • Specialized
9.9

A South American herb with sticky leaves grown for its oil-rich seeds

is the same plant but is a regional common name
madia oil plant
vsChile tarweed
  • Specialized
8.9

A South American herb with sticky leaves grown for its oil

is the same plant but the name stresses its oil use
melosa
vsChile tarweed
  • UK
9.9

A South American plant with sticky leaves used to make oil and medicine

is the same plant but the common name varies by region
Madia
vsChile tarweed
  • Specialized
9.9

A sticky plant with yellow flowers that grows in western North and South America

is a single South American species rather than the broader genus
tarweed
vsChile tarweed
  • US
9.9

Plants with sticky leaves and a strong smell that grow in western North America

is one South American species cultivated specifically for oil rather than many species

Surface Forms

Chile tarweed singular

Morphology

Chile + tarweed

The compound is simply a place-name modifier plus a plant type: knowing 'Chile' (the country) and 'tarweed' (a resinous plant) allows a learner to infer it is a tarweed associated with Chile. Place + noun botanical names are compositional and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the parts will understand the meaning.

Etymology

Chile tarweed gets its name from where it grows and how it feels: Chile for the country and tarweed because the plant's leaves are very sticky, like 'tar'. That's why the name fits a South American herb now grown for its 'madia oil'.